Pneumatic tire and rim



Oct- 24, 19 A. H. SHOEMAKER 1,932,191

PNEUMATIC TIRE AND RI M Filed Jan. 27, 193i INVENTOR fl/r/n bf Shoemaker A TTORNE Y Patented Oct. 24, 1933 4 T FF I' C-E v .-1,932,191 PNEUMATIC TIRE ANnimM Alvin ishoemaker, Seattle, Wash.

Applicaticn January 2'7, 1931. Serial No. 511,464

' .1 :Claim. =(c1. 153-20) My inventioirrelates to improvements in pneu Other andmore specificobjectsrofgmy invention matictiresand rims and-the general object ofmy will be apparent from the following description iinventi'onxis to provide a pneumatic tire in'which taken in connection with the accompanying the usual non-elastic bead rings .areentirely disdrawing and appendediclaim. v pensed with thereby cheapening the cost of manu Fig. l is a sectional view on a radial plane of facture 'ofithe tire, andto provide a simple and a tire and rim constructed .in accordance .with eflicient rim structure for receiving and clamp-- .rny-invention. ing and securely holding the bead portions of said Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a tire and yet leaving the tire readily removable. modified form of my invention. l? Another object of my invention is to provide a Referring to Fig. 1, I show a wheel 32 provided .65 tire which may be reduced in diameter after it with a peripheral rim member 38 having at each has been cured and before it is put into use thereedge thereof an annular groove formed by a by placing the rubber within said tire under com curved portion 34 which is curved laterally outpression. Ward and radially inward, and which, when seen J15 A further object of my invention is to provide in cross section, presents substantially the ap- 170 a tire which is adapted to make an air seal conpearance of a hook which is turned with its open tact with a rim, whereby said tire may be used side toward the axis of the wheel, and which without an inner tube. In a tire of this nature it must be entered from the outside, whereby the is desirable to dispense with non-elastic bead rings bead portion 35 of a tire 10 may be placed within #9 because such bead rings are susceptible to bendthe grooved portion of the rim with the edge 11 15 ing and, if they do become bent, are liable not to of said the extending over the outside of the conform accurately to the shape of the rim thus curved edge portion of the rim. A shoulder 36 is interfering with the forming of the air seal beformed at the edge of the rim 33 inwardly from, tween the tire and the rim. and substantially opposite to the open side of the 3 In the manufacture of pneumatic tires, if the adjacent rim groove and a retaining member 37 3'1) usual non-elastic or substantially non-elastic bead of non-metallic, somewhat flexible material is rings are left out of the beadportions of the tire interposed between the shoulder 36 and the tire at the time the tire is molded the process of manubead to prevent displacement of the tire bead. iacture is greatly simplified and the cost of pm- The locking member 37 may be an endless ring, =39 duction of the tires is very much reduced and the or a split ring, or it may be made in sections, and tires are left with relatively flexible bead portions said ring is made of flexible, non-metallic mainstead of with stiff non-flexible bead portions terial of firm cross section whereby it will securely thus making the tires easier and less cumbersome hold the tire bead 35 when it is inserted as shown to handle in marketing. in Fig. 1.

Q5 In my present application I provide a tire which In Fig. 2 I show another form of my invention 290 h is made without the usual non-elastic bead rings in which a non-metallic locking member 38 is ar and in which the bead portions of the tire are ranged to rest against an inclined shoulder 39 arranged to be securely clamped to the rim in such on a wheel 30 for securing a tire bead 41 within a a manner as to form an air seal and in which the grooved edge portion 42 of a wheel rim 43. The

49 clamping means serves also to hold the tire to a member 38 may be an endless ring or a split ring .35

reduced diameter whereby the rubber of which i it may be sectional.

said tire is formed may be maintained under com- In both forms of the invention above described,

pression when in service thereby giving greater the locking members 3? and 38 respectively rest wearing qualities and rendering the the more against positive shoulders 36 and 39, which shouldresistant to puncture and more self sealing in'the ders are rigid with the wheel or rim, and said 400 event it is punctured. locking rings afford positive stop means posi-' A more specific object of my invention is to protioned opposite the open sides of the bead receivvide a rim having annular grooves or channels in ing grooves for locking the beads in the grooves. its inner side adjacent its edges for the reception Flexible reinforcing members 9, as of canvas or i450 of the bead portions of a tire and to provide a tire cords may be embedded in the beads 35 and 41 to .1 5

6? around the outer edges of the rim.

having enlarged flexible bead portions disposed give a more substantial body to the beads and to within said grooves and retained therein by means prevent said beads being withdrawn from the forming shoulders opposite the open sides of said grooves.

grooves whereby the edges of the tire are drawn In these tires the base or bead portions of the tire are very widely spread apart, thus giving stability to the tire and tending to eliminate side sway and shimmy. This makes it practical to construct a tire of this nature which is free from longitudinal reinforcing and is reinforced only 5 by radial cords which extend directly across the tire from one bead portion to the other.

When a tire made in accordance with this invention is placed on a rim and inflated the internal air pressure will draw the edge portions 11 of said tire very tightly around the outside of the grooved edges of the rim and will tend to draw the tire bead portions 35 or 41 very tightly between the inturned rim edges 34 or 42 and the locking members 37 or 38 thus forming an e'liicient seal against the escape of air and making it possible to use this tire without an inner tube. This seal at the location of the beads also effectively excludes dirt and moisture of all forms.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawing clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes in the invention may be made as are within the scope and spirit of the following claim. 5 I claim:

7 In a tire and rim of the class described, a peripherally recessed rim affording a rim cavity for air, said rim having edges which are laterally curved outwardly and radially curved inwardly to afford grooves which open toward the axis of said rim; means on said rim forming shoulders of substantially the same width as said grooves positioned opposite said grooves in spaced relation from the open portions of said grooves; a tire having a transverse curvature of approximately one hundred eighty degrees and having bead portions of pliable and elastic material extending inwardly past the outer sides of said rim edges, said tire bead portions terminating in enlarged portions lying within said grooves; reinfrocing means embedded in said tire, said reinforcing means consisting of radially arranged cords which extend substantially crosswise of the tire from one bead portion to the other thereby forming a transverse binder and leaving the tire free to expand and contract longitudinally; and a flexible nonmetallic substantially non-compressible retaining strip removably disposed between the enlarged portions of said tire bead and said shoulder, where said tire bead portions are secured within said rim grooves.

ALVIN H. SHOEMAKER. 

